Canopy for weather protection especially suitable for a boat or pleasure vessel

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a canopy for protection against elements. It is especially relevant for a boat or a pleasure vessel but may also be used in places where protection from the sun is desirable, e.g. terraces. The canopy has a centrally located anchoring point for a line and at least one side anchoring rope. The canopy comprises a continuous resilient frame arranged in a channel around the circumference of the canopy. The central anchoring point comprises an in-the-canopy-located plate through which the central line is led and a splint that constitutes the anchoring point for the line.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a canopy for protection against the elements.It is especially relevant for a boat or a pleasure vessel but may alsobe used in places where protection from the sun is desirable, e.g.terraces.

BACKGROUND ART

People in boats on the open sea may need to be protected from the sun,rain or wind. There are several products in use. They can mainly bedivided into two types. The first type can be termed as fixedinstallations. Metal rods are fixed to a boat’s deck from which a canopyis supported, the rods holding up and ensuring that the textile in useis tensioned. The second type are flexible solutions intended fortemporary use. These are canopies being stretched over a boom or othersupport and being supported and tensioned by a frame.

An example of such a product is called “Freebag Overhead” owned by theapplicant. This consists of two articulated rods connected with bushingsassembled to provide a rigid load-bearing frame. To assemble the canopy,the rods need to be threaded into guides in the canopy and then finallyassembled using bushings. One of the drawbacks with this type is thatquite a lot of force is needed to position the rods and force them intothe bushings. This might be challenging, especially in rougher seas orwindy conditions and as such limits the usefulness of the product.

In the invention, the canvas is flexible and self-assembling. This isachieved by using a frame with spring structure. The canvas can bestored in a folded position but when releasing the spring the flexibleframe bounce out and thereby stretched the canvas to its desiredposition.

Such a solution is known from a video posted on YouTube by theapplicant. Another example is U.S. Pat. Application 2012/073770. Theyshow a spring-loaded frame with a canvas that will unpack upon releaseof the spring frame. The frame is foldable into a shape convenient forstorage and can be kept in a bag to prevent unintentional assembly.

However, the known solutions have a number of drawbacks, chief amongthese is how to keep the canopy taut and in position.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the invention these problems are overcome by providing the canopywith a first stabilizing rope fastened to the sides of the boat andproviding the canopy with an extra anchoring rope extending downwardsfrom the boat’s rig or boom and led through the centre of the canopy.The rope is supported by a plate sown into the canopy and fastened onthe underside of the canopy by using a splint or other stop.

According to the invention the canopy comprises a continuous resilientframe arranged in a channel around the circumference of the canopy andthat the central anchoring point comprises a plate located in the canopythrough which the central line is led and a splint that constitutes theanchoring point for the line.

Preferably the resilient frame comprises a glass fibre rod. Using onlyone rod helps alleviated the problem of assembling several rods withbushings.

Advantageously the canopy is made of a polyester material.

Another feature of the invention is that the side anchoring rope is ledthrough holes in the circumferential area of the canopy and fasteneddirectly to the frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail while referring to theaccompanying drawings where

FIG. 1 shows the canopy in the mounted position on the boat

FIG. 2 shows the canopy from above.

FIG. 3 anchoring point with pocket and plate

FIG. 4 shows detailed view of plate

FIG. 5 shows cross-section of part of the canopy with anchoring plateand glass fibre rod

FIGS. 6 - 8 show the assembly of the canopy to its mounted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a canopy 10 according to the invention mounted above a deckon a boat 1. As also shown in FIG. 2 the canopy has a roughly ovalcircular shape. The canopy 10 is held in place using an overhead boom 12with a line 14 that is fastened to the centre 20 of the canopy. Thecanopy is held in its preferred position by the line 14 anchored in therig or boom 12 of the boat. The method of fastening will be described inmore detail with respect to FIGS. 3 to 5 . The canopy preferably is alsofastened to railings 4 with at least one side anchoring rope 16.

The canopy is preferably made of a thick textile such as a waterproofpolyester. A larger thickness confers more stability and avoids thecanopy moving in the wind. The polyester textile can have a polyurethanecoat on the bottom side that will protect the canopy from water ingressand an aluminium coating on the upper side for protection against UVrays.

The centrally located anchoring point 11 has a pocket 17 into which issown a plate 18 as shown in FIG. 3 . The underside of the pocket ispreferably made of a mesh material to facilitate ventilation to avoidcollection of water and /or humidity.

As shown in FIG. 4 , plate 18 is preferably made of a hard plastic to bestrong but lightweight. Plate 18 has the same oval circular shape andorientation as the canopy 10. The line 14 is threaded through a hole 15in the centre of the plate 18 and fastened below the canopy with asplint 19 that is crosswise positioned against the plate 18.

The plate 18 has two main functions. Firstly, it is the anchoring pointholding the canvas up. This keeps the canopy in tension and in thecorrect position. The plate also will stabilize the textile that makesup the canopy. It will also help to distribute the forces through thecanopy.

FIG. 5 shows how around the circumference of the canopy the textile ispreferably doubled over, both for increased strength and to create achannel. Preferably this area 30 is about 10 cm wide. This extrathickness around the periphery also confers better stability. A rod 32,preferably made of a glass fibre material is inserted into the channel.The flexible rod is inserted into this channel and is pre-loaded duringmanufacture of the canopy.

As also shown in FIG. 5 , side anchoring ropes 16 are attached to rods32 through a hole in the circumferential area 30. This enables a moresecure fastening than if the ropes were attached to the textile.

FIGS. 6 - 8 show the sequence when unfolding the canopy. When not in usethe canopy is folded and placed in a bag that can be stowed away. Whentaking the canopy out of the bag it will naturally unfold itselfcompletely, due to the flexibility of the glass fibre rod.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A canopy for weather protection especially suitablefor a boat or pleasure vessel comprising a canopy having a centrallylocated anchoring points for a line and at least one side anchoring ropearranged between the side (30) of the canopy and the boat’s deck orrailings, wherein the canopy comprises a continuous resilient framearranged in a channel around the circumference of the canopy and thatthe central anchoring point comprises an in the canopy located platethrough which the central line is led with a splint that constitutes theanchoring point for the line and that the plate is located in a pocketof the canopy where the underside of the pocket is made of a meshmaterial.
 11. The canopy according to claim 10, wherein the resilientframe comprises a glass fiber rod.
 12. The canopy according to claim 10,wherein the resilient frame results in a popup effect upon mounting. 13.The canopy according to claim 10, wherein the resilient frame can befolded away for storage.
 14. The canopy according to claim 10, whereinthe resilient frame comes preassembled and ready for use.
 15. The canopyaccording to claim 10, wherein the canopy is made of a polyestermaterial.
 16. The canopy according to claim 15, wherein the material onthe topside is coated with material for UV protection.
 17. The canopyaccording to claim 10, wherein the side anchoring rope is led throughholes in the circumferential area of the canopy and fastened to theframe.
 18. The canopy according to claim 10, wherein the centralanchoring point further comprises a splint joined to the plate and towhich the line is fastened.